Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a 2024 presidential candidate who vowed to “Make America Healthy Again,” was picked by Donald Trump on Thursday to be the next secretary of the Department of Heath and Human Services.
Kennedy’s messaging resonated with a large portion of voters who are worried about what’s going into their food. On social media, moms and health-conscious influencers are repeating and reposting Kennedy’s talking points, both those that may have merit and the ones that amount to disproven conspiracy theories.
So why did the “Make America Healthy Again” (#MAHA) slogan work so well? Americans are more health-focused than ever before, and there’s a wealth of medical advice being doled out on social media — though most is not coming from credentialed experts.
Some voters are also less trusting of government regulators, the anti-vaccine movement has regained momentum post-COVID, and people are fearful about the rise in cancer among young people.
Kennedy has a reputation for being critical of vaccines and questioning the origin of the COVID-19 virus. He’s also spread unfounded claims about a link between childhood vaccines and autism, proposed the removal of fluoride from drinking water, and spoken about the potentially harmful impacts of food dyes.
Some ‘crunchy moms’ are ready for Kennedy
The day after the election, some celebrated Trump’s win and Kennedy’s potential role as a national public health decision-maker, despite his lack of a medical or public health degree.
A trend has broken out on TikTok for Zach Top’s country song “I Never Lie,” where mothers — often filming with their children — share their elation over the lyrics, “Things are going my way. I sleep like a baby.”
“How life feels knowing RFK is about to take the food & pharmaceutical agencies by storm,” one user wrote.
Another mom posted to the song “Walking On Sunshine” with the caption: “Crunchy moms knowing the era of constantly checking food labels for dyes, seed oils, and chemicals is coming to an end is ready to advocate for the health of our children.”
“FDA, count your days. 👋🏼 #MAHA,” she added.
Many of these moms have long been vocal online and in person, banding together to advocate against food dyes, for example. Some say they feel hindered by government agencies, like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), when it comes to making healthy eating decisions for their kids.
Last month, actress Eva Mendes took to Instagram to call for the removal of artificial food dyes in Kellogg’s cereal, and it sparked a firestorm, with moms across the country cheering her on.
“I grew up on cereal. I still love it but I won’t eat @kelloggsus anymore after I found out that so many of the ingredients they use here in the US are BANNED in other countries. Why? Because they’re harmful for children,” Mendes posted on Instagram Oct. 8.
The reactions were swift: “YES Eva!!!! Thank you for speaking out about this and advocating for safer products for our kids!” wrote @barenaturals.
In the United States, Kellogg’s Froot Loops uses food colorings and butylated hydroxytolune (BHT), which is a lab-made chemical added to foods as a preservative. Research on BHT as a carcinogen has mixed results depending on the animal and parameters tested.
Meanwhile, in Canada, the company uses concentrated carrot juice, watermelon juice, huito juice and blueberry juice to color Froot Loops.
So when Kennedy began campaigning on these same concerns, some mothers finally felt seen.
But what about vaccines, diseases, fluoride?
Kennedy has accused big business, drug companies and federal agencies of depleting Americans’ health with toxic chemicals and additives, and vowed to reduce the spread of disease.
Kennedy has rejected the idea that he is “anti-vaccine” and wouldn’t “take away anybody’s vaccines” despite his repeated, misleading claims that vaccines are linked to autism and his involvement with Children’s Health Defense, a leading anti-vaccine group.
He has said he wants to ensure that studies are made public and individuals can choose which vaccines will work for them. The problem? Herd immunity, which primarily protects babies, young children and immunocompromised people who cannot receive certain vaccines from diseases like measles, can only be achieved when most community members get vaccinated. Reducing the vaccines required for schooling or insurance coverage could not only put individuals at risk, but also reduce herd immunity and increase disease outbreaks in schools and communities.
Kennedy has also pushed to remove fluoride from drinking water supplies. The chemical has been added to U.S. water since 1945 to help prevent tooth decay and is one of the most common ways to prevent cavities. Prolonged exposure to high levels of fluoride can damage teeth and cognitive development, but health agencies say there are no side effects at the level recommended for drinking water.
However, drinking water is also regulated at the local level, which could limit Kennedy’s influence.
He has also advocated for holistic health practices, even drinking raw milk, which social media influencers have promoted, including Hannah Neeleman (Ballerina Farm), a trad wife content creator who boasts 10 million followers.
Consuming raw milk has long been associated with outbreaks of illnesses from bacteria, including a strain of E. coli that can cause kidney failure and death. Raw milk also contains high levels of bird flu (H5N1), which has spread to 505 herds of dairy cows in 15 states since March and can infect people, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Americans don’t know who to trust — but ignoring experts poses risks
Kennedy’s messaging comes at a time when many people have increased distrust in the government and fears regarding their health.
Young celebrity after celebrity have recently announced they have (or had) cancer: Jenna Fischer, Olivia Munn, Princess Kate, James Van Der Beek. That’s in line with data that shows 17 different types of cancer are rising for Gen X and millennials.
Researchers are trying to figure out exactly why, and Americans are eager for answers and don’t know who to trust.
But no matter who is in charge, Dr. Robert Califf, the current FDA commissioner, emphasized experts must play a vital role.
Califf said at an event Tuesday that while experts are not always right, they should not be broadly ignored: “Not having experts,” warned Califf, “I think historically, in every society, has been a case for demise of that society.”
He hopes for his successor to “listen to people with disparate points of view.”
“We have to wait and see and have some faith that hard-working, high-quality people are going to still be in place,” Califf said. “And we’ll have support, I hope, from the external regulated community, which, given the dynamics, is likely to be the most important factor.”